Cognitive and behavioral response of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) to environmental factors: Microplastics, predator cues, and detour design methods.

Urban stream syndrome is the collective term used to describe the physical and ecological degradation of streams draining urban lands that poses substantial threats to freshwater ecosystems. Among various consequences of urban expansion, microplastic pollution and shifts in predator-prey dynamics are prominent alterations to natural habitat that could impact the cognitive and behavioral responses of aquatic species. To explore how symptoms of urban stream syndrome impact the cognitive and behavioral responses of fish, we conducted two experiments using a delayed detour test to measure risk-taking and inhibitory control in Gambusia affinis.

Ionizing radiation has negligible effects on the age, telomere length and corticosterone levels of Chornobyl tree frogs.

The accident that occurred at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (Ukraine, 1986) contaminated a large extension of territory after the deposition of radioactive material. It is still under debate whether the chronic exposure to the radiation levels currently present in the area has long-term effects on organisms, such as decreases in longevity. Here, we investigate whether current levels of radiation in Chornobyl negatively impact the age of the Eastern tree frog .

Habitat structural complexity predicts cognitive performance and behaviour in western mosquitofish.

Urban stream syndrome alters stream habitat complexity. We define habitat complexity as the degree of variation in physical habitat structure, with increasing variation equating to higher complexity. Habitat complexity affects species composition and shapes animal ecology, physiology, behaviour and cognition.

Lack of glucocorticoid flexibility is indicative of wear-and-tear in Hyla versicolor tadpoles from agricultural environments.

In habitats where stressors are frequent or persistent, it can become increasingly difficult for wildlife to appropriately match their endocrine responses to these more challenging environments. The dynamic regulation of glucocorticoid (GC) hormones plays a crucial role in determining how well individuals cope with environmental changes. Amphibians exposed to agricultural stressors can dampen aspects of their GC profile (baseline, agitation, recovery, stress responsiveness, and negative feedback) to cope in these stressful environments, but this dampening can lead to reductions in an individual's reactive scope and a loss of endocrine flexibility.

Traffic Noise Impacts Glucocorticoid Response, Activity, and Growth in Two Species of Tadpoles.

There is a large body of evidence linking increased noise to negative health effects for animals. Anthropogenic noise induces behavioral and physiological reactions across a range of taxa and increased traffic noise affects glucocorticoid (GC) hormones associated with the stress response in amphibians. GCs help to maintain homeostasis while balancing energetic trade-offs between reproduction, growth, and activity.

Does stress make males? An experiment on the role of glucocorticoids in anuran sex reversal.

Environmentally sensitive sex determination may help organisms adapt to environmental change but also makes them vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors, with diverse consequences for population dynamics and evolution. The mechanisms translating environmental stimuli to sex are controversial: although several fish experiments supported the mediator role of glucocorticoid hormones, results on some reptiles challenged it. We tested this hypothesis in amphibians by investigating the effect of corticosterone on sex determination in agile frogs (Rana dalmatina).

Cholinesterase inhibitors and falls, syncope and injuries in patients with cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cholinesterase inhibitors are commonly used to treat patients with neurocognitive disorders, who often have an elevated risk of falling. Effective use of these medications requires a thoughtful assessment of risks and benefits.

Objective: To provide an update on previous reviews and determine the association between cholinesterase inhibitors and falls, syncope, fracture and accidental injuries in patients with neurocognitive disorders.

COVID-19 as a chronic stressor and the importance of individual identity: A data-driven look at academic productivity during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted personal and professional life. For academics, research, teaching, and service tasks were upended and we all had to navigate the altered landscape. However, some individuals faced a disproportionate burden, particularly academics with minoritized identities or those who were early career, were caregivers, or had intersecting identities.

Genomic, transcriptomic, and phenotypic differences among archetype strains of serotypes 2a, 3a, and 6.

Given the genomic diversity between serotypes and the paucity of data to support serotype-specific phenotypic differences, we applied and functional analyses of archetype strains of 2457T (2a), J17B (3a), and CH060 (6). These archetype strains represent the three leading serotypes recommended for inclusion in multivalent vaccines. Characterizing the genomic and phenotypic variation among these clinically prevalent serotypes is an important step toward understanding serotype-specific host-pathogen interactions to optimize the efficacy of multivalent vaccines and therapeutics.

The role of the minor colonization factor CS14 in adherence to intestinal cell models by geographically diverse ETEC isolates.

Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) is a primary causative agent of diarrhea in travelers and young children in low- to middle-income countries. ETEC adheres to small intestinal epithelia via colonization factors (CFs) and secretes heat-stable toxin and/or heat-labile toxin, causing dysregulated ion transport and water secretion. There are over 30 CFs identified, including major CFs associated with moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) and minor CFs for which a role in pathogenesis is less clear.

Exposure to Roundup and Antibiotics Alters Gut Microbial Communities, Growth, and Behavior in Tadpoles.

The gut microbiome is important for digestion, host fitness, and defense against pathogens, which provides a tool for host health assessment. Amphibians and their microbiomes are highly susceptible to pollutants including antibiotics. We explored the role of an unmanipulated gut microbiome on tadpole fitness and phenotype by comparing tadpoles of in a control group (1) with tadpoles exposed to: (2) Roundup (glyphosate active ingredient), (3) antibiotic cocktail (enrofloxacin, sulfamethazine, trimethoprim, streptomycin, and penicillin), and (4) a combination of Roundup and antibiotics.

Does the Glucocorticoid Stress Response Make Toads More Toxic? An Experimental Study on the Regulation of Bufadienolide Toxin Synthesis.

Chemical defense is a crucial component of fitness in many organisms, yet the physiological regulation of defensive toxin synthesis is poorly understood, especially in vertebrates. Bufadienolides, the main defensive compounds of toads, are toxic to many predators and other natural enemies, and their synthesis can be upregulated by stressors, including predation risk, high conspecific density, and pollutants. Thus, higher toxin content may be the consequence of a general endocrine stress response in toads.

Elevated water temperature initially affects reproduction and behavior but not cognitive performance or physiology in Gambusia affinis.

Warming temperatures associated with climate change and urbanization affect both terrestrial and aquatic populations with freshwater fish being especially vulnerable. As fish rely on water temperature to regulate their body temperature, elevated temperatures can alter physiology and in turn behavioral and cognitive skills. We examined whether reproduction, physiology, behavior, and cognitive skills were altered by exposure to elevated water temperatures during one reproductive cycle in the live-bearing fish, Gambusia affinis.

Differences in Corticosterone Release Rates of Larval Spring Salamanders () in Response to Native Fish Presence.

Invasive fish predators are an important factor causing amphibian declines and may have direct and indirect effects on amphibian survival. For example, early non-lethal exposure to these stressors may reduce survival in later life stages, especially in biphasic species. In amphibians, the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone is released by the hypothalamo-pituitary-interrenal axis (HPI), as an adaptive physiological response to environmental stressors.

Coping With Urban Habitats Via Glucocorticoid Regulation: Physiology, Behavior, and Life History in Stream Fishes.

As environments become urbanized, tolerant species become more prevalent. The physiological, behavioral and life-history mechanisms associated with the success of such species in urbanized habitats are not well understood, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Here, we examined the glucocorticoid (GC) profiles, life-history traits, and behavior of two species of fish across a gradient of urbanization to understand coping capacity and associated trade-offs.

Understanding Organismal Capacity to Respond to Anthropogenic Change: Barriers and Solutions.

Global environmental changes induced by human activities are forcing organisms to respond at an unprecedented pace. At present we have only a limited understanding of why some species possess the capacity to respond to these changes while others do not. We introduce the concept of multidimensional phenospace as an organizing construct to understanding organismal evolutionary responses to environmental change.

Do Females in a Unisexual-Bisexual Species Complex Differ in Their Behavioral Syndromes and Cortisol Production?

Studies of suites of correlated behavioral traits (i.e., behavioral syndromes) aid in understanding the adaptive importance of behavioral evolution.

Artificial light at night (ALAN) affects the stress physiology but not the behavior or growth of Rana berlandieri and Bufo valliceps.

Artificial light at night (ALAN) alters the natural light dark patterns in ecosystems. ALAN can have a suite of effects on community structure and is a driver of evolutionary processes that influences a range of behavioral and physiological traits. Our understanding of possible effects of ALAN across species amphibians is lacking and research is warranted as ALAN could contribute to stress and declines of amphibian populations, particularly in urban areas.

Implementation of a multicomponent intervention sign to reduce delirium in orthopaedic inpatients (MIND-ORIENT): a quality improvement project.

Delirium is a serious and common condition that leads to significant adverse health outcomes for hospitalised older adults. It occurs in 30%-55% of patients with hip fractures and is one of the most common postoperative complications in older adults undergoing orthopaedic surgery. Multicomponent, non-pharmacological interventions can reduce delirium incidence by up to 30% but are often challenging to implement as part of routine care.

The Effect of Multiple Assessments on Delirium Detection: a Pilot Study.

Background: Delirium is characterized by fluctuating attention or arousal, with high prevalence in the orthopaedic ward. Our aim was to: 1) establish the prevalence of delirium on an orthopaedic ward, and 2) compare delirium prevalence using a single geriatrician assessment vs. multiple 3D-CAM (3-Minute Diagnostic Interview for Confusion Assessment Method) assessments during the day.

ELICITS ACUTE STRESS RESPONSE IN SPOTTED SALAMANDERS BUT NOT INFECTION OR MORTALITY.

The emerging fungal pathogen () is a major threat to amphibian species worldwide with potential to infect many species if it invades salamander biodiversity hotspots in the Americas. can cause the disease chytridiomycosis, and it is important to assess the risk of -induced chytridiomycosis to species in North America. We evaluated the susceptibility to of the common and widespread spotted salamander, , across life history stages and monitored the effect of exposure on growth rate and response of the stress hormone, corticosterone.

Stressed tadpoles mount more efficient glucocorticoid negative feedback in anthropogenic habitats due to phenotypic plasticity.

Coping with anthropogenic environmental change is among the greatest challenges faced by wildlife, and endocrine flexibility is a potentially crucial coping mechanism. Animals may adapt to anthropogenic environments by dampening their glucocorticoid stress response, but empirical tests of this hypothesis have provided mixed evidence. An alternative hypothesis is that a non-attenuated stress response and efficient negative feedback are favored in anthropogenic habitats.